Container for use with fork lift equipment



. i412 r l0 l n Aug. 14, 1962 CONTAINER FOR USE WITH FORK LIFT EQUIPMENT 3,049,265 CONTAWER FOR USE WTH FORK LFT EQUIPMENT John H. Van Moss, Jr., Highland Park, and Percy H. Waller, Wilmette, Ill.; said Percy H. Waller assigner to Starwood Industries, Inc., a corporation of illinois Filed Dec. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 858,238 Claims; (Cl. 2211-97) This invention relates to containers and in particular to containers arranged for handling by fork litt means.

A conventional material handling method is to place Va container such as a box on a pallet and to handle the pallet with the box thereon by means of a fork lift device. This arrangement, however, has several disadvantages such as the possibility of the container falling from the pallet as during the transferring operation, dih'iculty of stacking a number of such associated pallet and container arrangements, excessive height of a stacked arrangement, etc.

The instant invention comprehends a new and irnproved container arranged for handling by fork lift means. An important feature of the invention is the provision of such a container having an integral pallet portion.

Another feature is the provision of a plurality of such containers arranged for improved stacked association.

A fur-ther feature of the invention is the provision of such a container which may be readily assembled and which is economical in construction.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a container formed of plywood and including a rectangular horizontal bottom wall having peripheral projections, a plurality of side -wall panels having openings receiving the projections of the bottom wall to retain the panels in secured association with the periphery of the bottom wall land to enclose laterally the space above the -bottom wall, opposed side wall panels converging upwardly to a horizontal plane defining the upper end of the side walls, a lower portion of each panel extending downwardly to below the bottom wall and having a pair of downwardly opening recesses for extension of fork lift means therethrough for engaging the bottom wall to carry the container, the upper end of each side wall panel being provided with a pair of upwardly opening recesses vertically aligned with the corresponding recesses of the lower portion and co-'operating with the recesses of the lower portion of a superposed such container to define a passage for extension of fork lift means therethrough Ifor engaging the ibottom wall of the superposed container to independently carry the superposed container.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 'l is an isometric view of a pair of containers embodying the invention in stacked association, portions of co-operating fork lift means being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of one such container embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation thereof;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan of the top wall of the container;

FIG. 6 is -a plan of the bottom wall of the container; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. l.

As shown in FIG. l of the drawing, a pair of containers embodying the invention and generally designated 10 and 110 respectively are arranged `for facilitated stacked relationship through the use of conventional fork lift material handling means. The rfork lift means is illustrated in 3,649,265 Patented Aug. 14, 1862 FIG. l as a pair of fork -arms 11 lin handling association with container 10 and a similar pair of fork arms 111 in handling -association with container 110. Containers 10 and 110 are similar, and the detailed `description herefollowing of the construction of the containers is limited to container 10.

More specifically, container 10 comprises a frustopyramidal container defined by a plurality of interlocking plywood wall panels. The container includes a horizontal bottom wall 12, side wall means 40 laterally enclosing the space 13 above the 4bottom wall and comprising similar end walls 14 and 15 and similar side walls 16 and 17, and a top wall 18. Each of bottom wall 12 and top wall 18 is generally rectangular, top wall 18 being slightly smaller in lateral extent than bottom wall 12. The end walls 14 and 15 and side walls 16 and 17 are generally trapezoidal narrowing upwardly, whereby the assembled container 1G narrows upwardly.

The vertical edges 19 of end wall panels 14 and 15 and side Wall panels 16 and 17 are complementarily rabbeted for interlocking engagement. The lower portion 20 of each end wall 14 and 15 is provided with a pair of spaced downwardly opening recesses 21 and the lower portion 22 of each side wall 16 and 17 is provided with a similar pair of spaced downwardly opening recesses 23, said recesses 21 and 23 accommodating passage of the spaced fork lift arms 11. The upper end portion 24 of each end wall 14 and 15 is provided with a pair of upwardly opening recesses 25 vertically aligned with recesses 21, and the upper end portion 26 of each side wall 16 and 17 is provided with a similar pair of upwardly opening recesses 27 vertically aligned with recesses 23. Each end wall 14 and 15 is provided with a rectangular, horizontally elongate hole 28 having its bottom coplanar with the upper end of recesses 21 and arranged for fitted association with a complementary projection 29 at each end of bottom wall 12. A pair of projections 30 at each end of top Wall 1S is receivable in the upper recesses 25 of end Wall 14 and 15. Side wall panels 16 and 17 are each provided with three rectangular, horizontally elongate holes 31 similar to hole 28 of the end Wall panels and receiving complementary projections B2 at the sides of bottom wall panel 12. The side edges of top wall panel 18 are each provided with a pair of projections 33 receivable in recesses 27 of the `side wall panels 16 and 17.

The wall panels of container 10 are retained in assembled relationship by suitable securing means, herein comprising a pair of steel straps 34 encircling the side wall means 40 and secured by clips 34a. Such securing means provides for ready securing and knock-down of the container when desired; however, if desired, other securing means such as screws or nails may be employed. Further, it is obvious that, where desired, the top Wall panel 18 may be omitted from the container.

Each of -the wall panels of the container may be formed of plywood.V A highly satisfactory container of this type and having an over-all height of 28 inches may have the end and side wall panels and top wall panels formed of 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood and the bottom Wall panel formed of 3A: inch exterior grade plywood.

As the end walls and side walls converge toward the top of the container, facilitated stacking of a plurality of such coutainers'may be effected. As best seen in FIGS.- 1 and 7, the lower portions 2) and 22 of the end and side walls respectively are spaced outwardly of the upper portions 24 and 26 of the end walls and side walls respectively of a subjacent container in the stacked relationship. Thus, the containers are automatically aligned and interlocked in a vertical relationship permitting a substantial number thereof to be easily stacked. As the bottom wall panel 12 of the superposed container, such as container 116, rests upon the upper edge of the side wall means 40 of the subjacent container, access passages 35 are defined by the aligned upper portions of recesses 21 and 23 of the superposed container and recesses 25 and 27 respectively ofthe subjacent container. Thus, facilitated deposit or removal of the superposed container 110 relative to the subjacent container may be effected by the conventional fork lift arms.

As best seen in FIG. 1, a four-way entry `for the fork lift arms is provided for engagement of the fork lift arms selectively with the subjacent container 10 or the superposed container 110, as desired. As the bottom wall panel 12 of each container has its lower surface coplanar with the top of the fork lift arm passage means, engagement of the fork lift arms with the end wall or side Wall panels as well as the bottom wall panel during a material handling operation is eected providing improved container handling.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A plywood container arranged for handling by conventional fork lift means, comprising: a rectangular horizontal bottom wall having peripheral projections; and a plurality of -side wall panels having openings receiving said projections to retain the panels in secured association with the periphery of the bottom wall and to enclose laterally the space above the bottom Wall, opposed portions of said side wall panels converging upwardly, a lower portion of each panel extending downwardly to below the bottom wall a distance at least equal to the height of a fork lift means and having a pair of downwardly opening recesses extending upwardly from the lower edge of the panel to at least the plane of the bottom surface of the bottom wall for extension of fork lift means therethrough for engaging the bottom wall to carry the container, the upper end of each side wall panel being provided with a pair of upwardly opening recesses vertically aligned with the corresponding recesses in the lower portion for registry with the recesses of the lower portion of a superposed such container having its bottom Wall resting on the upper edge of the side wall panels of the subjacent container for extension of the fork lift means therethrough for engaging the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the superposed container to carry independently the superposed container.

2. A container arranged for handling by conventional fork lift means, comprising: a horizontal bottom wall; side wall means in secured association with the periphery of the bottom wall and laterally enclosing the space above the bottom wall, opposed portions of the side wall means convering upwardly, support means extending downwardly from the bottom wall and defining openings for extension of a fork lift means therethrough, each of said support means and openings extending downwardly from the plane of the bottom surface of the bottom wall a distance at least equal to the height of the fork lift means permitting the fork lift means to be inserted through the openings to engage the bottom surface of the bottom wall to carry the container; and means at the upper end of the side wall means dening upwardly opening recesses registering with said openings of the support means of a superposed such container having its bottom wall resting on the upper edge of the side wall means of the subjacent container for extension of the fork lift means therethrough for engaging the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the superposed container to carry independently\ the superposed container.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein the upper end of said openings is coplanar with the bottom surface of said bottom wall.

4. A container arranged for handling by conventional fork lift means, comprising-z a horizontal bottom wall; and side wall means in secured association with the periphery of the bottom wall and laterally enclosing the space above the bottom wall, opposed portions of the side wall means converging upwardly, portions of said side wall means extending downwardly from the bottom wall and defining openings for extension of a fork lift means therethrough, each of said downwardly extending portions and openings extending downwardly from the plane of the ybottom surface of the bottom wall a distance at least equal to the height of the fork lift means permitting the fork lift means to be inserted through the openings to engage the bottom surface of the bottom wall to carry the container, and portions of said side Wall means at the upper end thereof defining upwardly opening recesses registering with said openings of said downwardly extending portions of a superposed such container having its bottom wall resting on the upper edge of the side Wall means of the subjacent container for extension of the fork lift means therethrough for engaging the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the superposed container to carry independently the superposed container. Y

5. A container `arranged for handling by conventional fork lift means, comprising: a horizontal bottom wall; side wall means in secured association with the periphery of the bottom wall and laterally enclosing the space above the bottom wall, opposed portions of the side wall means converging upwardly, support means extending downwardly from the bottom wall and detining openings for extension of a fork lift means therethrough, each of said support means and openings extending downwardly from the plane of the bottom surface of the bottom Wall a distance at least equal to the height of the fork lift means permitting the fork lift means to be inserted through the openings to engage the bottom surface of the bottom Wall to carry the container; a horizontal top wall having peripheral projections; and means at the upper end of the side Wall means delining upwardly opening recesses receiving said top Wall projections for retaining the top wall across said space, ksaid recesses further being registered with said openings of the support means of a superposed such container having its bottom wall resting on the upper edge of the side wall means of the'subjacent container for extension of the fork lift means therethrough 'above said projections for engaging the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the superposed container to carry independently the superposed container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,710,703 Kephart June Y14, 1955 2,738,092 Ladd Mar. 13, 1956 2,761,582 Moore Sept. 4, 1956 2,881,939 Nelson Apr. 14, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,408 Great Britain 1908 265,489 Great Britain Feb. 10, 1927 29,812 Australia Oct. 27, 1930 919.922 France Dec; 16, 1946 

